The early bird gets the worm.

One of the most well recognised quotes that you would have ever heard.

Yet, for many of us, this quote brings about nothing more than dread and a feeling of punishment…dragging yourself out of a lovely warm bed just to… < INSERT completely pointless task here which could be done at any time of the day other than 6am >. Am I right?

But not everyone truly enjoys getting up early.

And that, my friends, is the key takeaway message from this post. What I am about to share won’t transform you from a night owl into a morning person through 10 minutes of light reading. The whole concept around waking early needs to become an enjoyable part of your daily routine and, as such, something you look forward to. Once your mind makes the shift, the body and your routine will follow quickly after.

The purpose of this post is for those that do struggle with the consistency of being able to get up early each morning yet really do want to make that transition. These key and immediately implementable techniques will ensure the sustainability of your early rising in the long term.

But, for those of us that simply don’t want to get up early, let me first share with you 3 key benefits of waking early which are fiercely backed by longitudinal research studies;

1. Increased productivity. Studies out of RMIT Melbourne suggest that when a person gets up early, they have a higher baseline of stored energy and it therefore takes less time to do a desired task due to the laser-like focus. You are therefore more adept at decision making, planning and goal orientated.
2. Reduced stress. Rising early eliminates the need for rush and panic (which is commonly how most of us start our day)! As such; reduced levels of the hormone cortisol allow us to commence the day on an optimistic note and we are therefore more likely to stay on track with our exercise and diet regimes. This one has a real flow on effect and creates superior outcomes in many facets of your lives.
3. Psychological advantage. A 2017 study from the university of Chicago outlines that the intrinsic motivation that waking early injects into your subconscious mind is more powerful than you could ever quantify. Recognising that you will accomplish more in the 3 hours you are awake than some people could possibly achieve over the course of a whole day stimulates your endorphins and moves you closer toward your goals. The mindset impact here is exponential.

Ok. So now we have proof on the benefits of rising early but how do we do it? And, more importantly, how do we sustain it? These are 5 things you can implement immediately with ease which will aid in your transition from tomorrow!

1. Make a decision that you want and need to wake up early. Do it right now. Say it out loud. Write it down and put in on your bathroom mirror. Think about the positive consequences of you making this decision and decide that you will now be a morning person. If you wake up at 5am instead of 7am 5 days/week, you get an extra 10 hours/week or an additional 520 hours/year. That’s an extra 3 weeks a year! Keep it in perspective.
2. Alarm Management. The type and sound of your alarm will have dramatic impact on how you start your day. The wrong tone or a piercing alarm (which is the default in your Iphone or android) does nothing more than encourage you to hit that snooze multiple times and you get out of bed in a pretty bad mood. Agree? So, here’s the trick. I recommend using an alarm where the sound comes in gradually. It starts slow and comes in a little louder. Rather than a song from your playlist, download the app – “Relax Melodies”. It has fantastic functionality for alarms where you can increase the intensity and the volume of your alarm gradually over the course of 10 minutes. This is critical. It allows you to wake up naturally within your sleep cycle rather than being jolted awake. Couple this with having your alarm outside of arms reach so you need to get out of bed to stop the alarm. This might be in your walk-in-robe or it might be in the kitchen (depending on your living arrangements). Just have it in a place where you physically need to move.
3. Accountability to exercise. If you haven’t already, find yourself an exercise partner that enjoys similar activities (whether it be a walk, gym, pilates, yoga, cycling) and lock in your exercise for 5am or 6am every morning with them. When you are held accountable to getting up early, you a far more likely to get up and stay up! Our brains are naturally hard-wired to fear causing disappointment to our family and friends. This alone is a key driver to ensure that when you know you have to meet Emily at the park gates at 6am tomorrow morning for a 2km walk, your mind will do everything in its power to ensure you wake up to make that appointment.
4. Make your room a little brighter. Don’t completely close your curtains/blinds. Melatonin production in the brain is what causes us to go to sleep. In the evening, when its dark, your brain will start to produce melatonin which aids in you falling asleep. This also speaks to the importance of removing those bright devices from your bedroom (tablets, laptops, etc). Any exposure to light on your skins sensors will decrease melatonin production and commence the process of waking your body up. If we can help this process by allowing natural light to filter into your bedroom earlier in the morning, it will certainly facilitate this process.
5. Optimise your nutrition at night. Don’t eat late at night. Ideally you want to have completed eating by 8pm. Your body needs to expend a minimum of 10% of your daily energy consumption on digestion alone. If you eat a meal before you go to bed, your body will have a direct focus on digestion, rather than sleep, and therefore has detrimental impacts on your circadian rhythms and delays the onset of deep sleep and REM’s. You are guaranteed to wake up sluggish and carry inflammation throughout your body.

So go ahead, try it! What’s the worst that can happen?

Five easy, straight forward, immediately implementable systems which will significantly improve your ability to become an early riser. Start creating your lifestyle by design, rather than by default.

Can’t wit to hear your feedback!

Live the life you love.